Akissa Bahri

Akissa Bahri 35 years in research into use

Akissa Bahri, an agricultural engineer by training, has worked in water research in the fields of water resources development and management,agricultural use of marginal waters andbiosolids, and their impacts on the environment with a focus on water quality and water use efficiency.

She has been dealing with the double-sided problems of dwindling water resources and the risks of soil deterioration associated with land application of brackish and reclaimed waters and sewage sludge. These practices, if not well managed, may create potential problematic long-term environmental impact and maybe even a public health problem. She was able to arrive at best practices for using marginalwaters and biosolids. The findings were communicated to government authorities and transferred into standards and directives to farmers for practical application. She then became a key policy adviser on the matter.

Akissa Bahrihas a long-standing interest in how a more integrated approach to managing water and wastewater can contribute to meeting water demand and protecting the environment. From her position as Laboratory Chief at the National Research Institute for Agricultural Engineering, Water and Forestry and the National Commission for Agricultural Water Research Programming and Evaluation she was leading, she was able to influence the research directions and the results’ transfer with a strong focus on efficient agricultural water use. She has guided national research to be most effective in resolving practical issues of agricultural water useefficiency in Tunisia. This has involved addressing the use of appropriate technology for the conditions of Tunisia, the high salinity content of most Tunisian waters, and the environmental impacts of reclaimed water and biosolids on soils, crops and groundwater.

She has not only been able (1) to assist her country to supplement its scarce water resources with reclaimed water,and to provide an environmentally safe and useful manner of biosolids recycling through land application but also (2) to seek solutions for critical challenges to water security by improving urban water and wastewater management in the growing cities of the developing world.

She has authored numerous papers and reports on the topic, including Managing the other side of water cycle: Making wastewater an asset. The paper focuses on the management of the whole water/waste cycle at the city level within an integrated approach, outlining what it will take to put into practice a sustainable approach to water supply, sanitation and reuse and how it is essential to connect city and countryside in terms of water and nutrient flows. It looks at options for closing the loop between human settlement discharges and their surrounding watersheds based on an integrated approach to water resources management. Special attention is given to the full spectrum of technical, planning, management, institutional, economic and policy aspects. Managing the Other Side of the Water Cycle is thus an important contribution towards widening the debate on the management of the “after use” part of the water and waste cycle.

The latter paper on Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) shows how IUWM, nested within the broader framework of integrated water resources management can contribute to water security in a basin or catchment by aligning the urban water sector with rural water supply, agriculture, industry, energy and the environment. And it provides guidance on implementing IUWM – covering policy, financing and management options and technological advances.

Policy and legislative issues regarding water reuse and land application of biosolids

Because of her familiarity with health and environmental issues on wastewater and biosolids, she was a member of the team that contributed to the adoption of regulations for water reuse and land application of biosolids. The results derived from her research work have been used for drafting the Tunisian policy and regulations regarding water reuse and biosolids management issued respectively in 1999 and 2007.

She has also developed an extensive practical experience in those fields, both in Tunisia, other semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean region, the Middle East and in Africa. This has led her to be also involved in drafting the “Guidelines for municipal water reuse in the Mediterranean countries” and in contributing to the drafting of the “Recycled Water Master Plan for the Abu Dhabi Emirate”.

Managing Research

From 1987 to 2005, she was responsible at the National Research Institute for Agricultural Engineering, Water, and Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources in Tunisia (i) from 2001-2005, for setting up and managing a laboratory for research on sustainable management of agricultural water; (ii) from 1997-2005, for coordinating the research program on irrigation and drainage funded within the context of investment projects of the World Bank, the Agricultural Sector Investment Loan (1992-1997) and the Water Sector Investment Loan (2001-2005); (iii) from 1994-2005, for leading the National Commission for Agricultural Water Research Programmingand Evaluation; and (iv) from 1980-1987, for implementing a research project (RAB 80/011) funded by UNDP on reuse of reclaimed water and biosolids in agriculture.She helped to coordinate the utilization ofloans to Tunisia targeted on increasing research capability as an element of the country’s infrastructure.

As Director for Africa at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) from 2005-2010, based in Accra (Ghana), she has been responsible to spearhead, direct and oversee research and administration offices in the Africa region (Ghana for West Africa, Ethiopia for East Africa and South Africa for Southern Africa) to achieve IWMI’s goals and act as IWMI’s representative in the geographic region. She developed the IWMI Africa strategy and business development plan and strengthened IWMI’s relationships with other regional and international organizations. She has also developed a sound and strong knowledge of development issues in Africa.

Putting knowledge into action

Currently as Coordinator of the African Water Facility (AWF) at the African Development Bank since 2010, she is responsible for planning, organizing, directing and supervising the activities undertaken by the AWF, an initiative of the African Ministers’ Council on Water. She manages a portfolio of 80 projects in 51 countries, totaling 100 million euros. She supports the ambitious goal of catalyzing the development of Africa’s water sector to help the continent achieve water security through the multiplication of water projects, in view of achieving the Africa Water Vision 2025. She is guiding the AWF to transform its €20 million annual program to address the new priorities and the technical challenges of new approaches to water resources management as well as to build new international partnerships. With a new Strategic Plan, and launched projects in Fragile States in high risk regions such as Darfur in Sudan, Somaliland in Somalia, and others, she is putting knowledge into action by introducing innovative ideas to create enabling environments and mobilize resources to ultimately help the disadvantaged communities cope with change and generate their own development.

Teaching, Training and Lectures

Akissa Bahri has built, strengthened and led teams of professionals during her career. She has developed partnerships with various organizations that led to the development of projects. Her experience in the field of water resources management and more specifically in the field of water reuse linking sanitation to reuse is highly relevant.

Awards

1984: GrandPrize of ScientificMeritfor Development from Guinness Foundation

1993:International Foundation for Science/King BaudouinAward

1996: Kuwait Prize in the Field of Waste Recycling from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences

2009 Recipient of the "Prof. C.N.R. Rao Prize for Scientific Research" awarded by the World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries

Member of Academies/Organizations and Selected Professional Activities

2013- to date: Member of the Expert Committee for the review of TWAS Prize candidates in the field of Agricultural Sciences 2010-2012: Chair of the Membership Advisory Committee in Agricultural Sciences of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS)

2011: Member of the IWA Fellows Program

2010-2011: Member of the CIRAD Scientific Committee

2009: Member of the Middle East Science Fund Regional Executive Committee

2007-2010: Member of the International Water Association Program Committee

2007: Member of the African Academy of Sciences (Nairobi, Kenya)

2006-2011: Member of the Scientific Program Committee of the Stockholm Water Symposium

2005-2011: Member of the Technical Committee of the Global Water Partnership

2005: Fulbright Scholar, Davis, California, January-June 2005

2003-2004: Member of IWMI’s Board of Governors, Sri Lanka

2003-to date: Member of the International Foundation for Science (Stockholm, Sweden) Scientific Advisory Committee in the Water Resources research area

2003: Member of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (Trieste, Italy)

2002-2008: Member of the Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee, Stockholm, Sweden

2001-2004: Member of the Cemagref’s Specialized Commission of the Department "Equipments for Water and the Environment", France

2000: Member of the International Water Academy (Oslo, Norway)

2000-2003: Member of the Scientific Committee of the Program “Solidarité-Eau”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France

Employment History

2010- to date: Coordinator of the African Water Facility, African Development Bank, Tunis, Tunisia 2005-2010: Director for Africa, International Water Management Institute, Accra, Ghana

1978-2005: National Research Institute for Agricultural Engineering, Water, and Forestry, Tunis, Tunisia – Research Fellow, Senior Research Fellow to Director of Research

Reuse of Reclaimed Water and Biosolids – Research going to Resource Recovery

Asano, A. and Bahri, A. 2010. Global challenges to wastewater reclamation and reuse.Selections from the 2010 World Water Week in Stockholm. Edited by Jan Lundqvist. www.worldwaterweek.org/onthewaterfront2010. pp. 64-72.

Brissaud F. and Bahri A. 2008. Trying to set a common framework to rule water reuse in the Mediterranean Region. In Water Reuse: An International Survey of current practice, issues and needs, Edited by B. Jimenez and T. Asano. ISBN: 9781843390893. London, UK. 2008 IWA Publishing. Scientific and Technical Report. No. 20. pp. 521-543.

Bahri, A. 2008. Case Studiesin Middle Eastern and North African countries. In Water Reuse: An International Survey of current practice, issues and needs, Edited by B. Jimenez and T. Asano. ISBN: 9781843390893. London,

1999: Speaker at the 5th General Assembly of the AfricanAcademy of Science,“Achievements and prospects of water resources development and management in Tunisia – The research output”, 25 p., Hammamet, Tunisia, 23-27 April 1999

1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000: Lecturer in postgraduate courses on Wastewater Reuse at the National Agronomical Institute of Tunis, and the Faculty of Sciences (Tunisia)

1985 to 2000: Lecturer in the Advanced International Training Program "Water Resources Development in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions", LundUniversity (Sweden) on the use of brackish water, wastewater and sewage sludge in agriculture

The audience has hard time to appreciate the worthwhileness of the documents presented in the so-called"who is who"and teha uthor is well advised to provide for an"addendum"since many references are not "clear"and not"verifiable."Reference is made to"lecturing"post-graduate courses at INAT,Tunis with no details,also such "post graduate courses did not exist between 1995 and 2000,since the"LMD"framework did start in Tunisia,only in 2006,while the "Boulogna Framework started in the EU in 1999,these are facts,also,the author of this"cv"should keep in mind the audience,be it"lay people",academia or business-oriented,also,the reader would be interested in the first author's output,not the number 3 or number5,usually"et al"is used to save space!The emphasis should be palced on"quality"not "quantity."namely,"the lesser,the better!"

sadokdriss - 01-05-2014 15:17

this"who is who"is rather lenghy and may not be of interest to the audience,sinci it doesn't respect the universal principles such as :objectivity,fiability,verifiability,clarity,transparancy,brievity,precision,actuality,and deontology."et al"is the expression to be used whenever more than one author is involved,and this is a must,for undergraduate or graduate students,while in this case ,such an expression is not used,because the reader is not supposed to search for who" did what",as this is a waste of time,this shows that this author is supposed to provide for an erratum,or a corrigendum,so as help the reader to appreciate the "value"of the"garbage"presented.